At the end of the sea of flowers, there is an extremely majestic mountain range, shrouded in clouds and mist. This mountain range is the location of the Flower Sect's mountain gate.
The disciples of the Flower Sect are all women, each with a beautiful appearance and elegant demeanor. The sect has a thousand-year history and profound heritage, holding a pivotal position in the Middle Continent.
In the center of the Myriad Flower Mountain Range, the tallest peak rises abruptly from the ground, piercing the clouds; this is called the "Myriad Flower Main Peak".
This peak is extremely broad, and on its body, rows of carved and painted buildings are built against the mountain, layer upon layer, in a well-organized manner. From the foot of the mountain to the mountainside, there are pavilions, palaces, towers, and medicinal gardens, and the disciples move among them with light steps and agile breath.
At the summit of the mountain lies a vast plaza, carved out by human hands. The plaza is entirely paved with massive, blue boulders weighing thousands of kilograms each, their surfaces polished smooth as mirrors. Despite the passage of time, they remain exceptionally sturdy.
The stone railings surrounding the plaza are carved with intricate and exquisite petal patterns that seem to bloom at any moment. A gentle breeze carries a unique fragrance to the plaza, a blend of rare mountain flowers and the sect's distinctive incense, elegant and long-lasting.
Behind the square, a magnificent hall stands tall, named the Myriad Flower Hall.
The main hall is carved entirely from white jade, and under the sunlight, it shimmers with Radiant Flow and exudes a magnificent aura.
The roof is covered with glazed tiles, and copper bells hang from the corners, making a clear "ding-dong" sound when the wind blows.
Above the main entrance of the main hall hangs a gilded plaque with the three large characters "Myriad Flower Hall" written on it. The calligraphy is vigorous and powerful, and it was written by the founder of the Flower Sect.
At this moment, the atmosphere inside the Myriad Flower Hall was completely different from the serene and peaceful atmosphere outside.
The hall was exceptionally spacious, with towering white jade pillars, each requiring two people to encircle, supporting the roof. The pillars were carved with lifelike, spiraling floral vines. On both sides of the hall, dozens of figures stood solemnly, all of them elders and core disciples of the Flower Sect.
They were dressed in uniform light purple sect attire, their expressions solemn, their gazes fixed on the seats above them. An invisible pressure permeated the air, making the atmosphere somewhat heavy.
In the center of the main hall, at the highest position, sat a beautifully carved white jade chair, upon which sat a woman dressed in an elegant brocade robe.
The woman was about thirty years old, with a rather attractive appearance. She had willow-leaf eyebrows, phoenix eyes, a high nose bridge, and fair skin. However, her slightly thin red lips, when pursed slightly, revealed a hint of meanness.
The brocade robe she wore was made of cloud brocade, soft in texture and brightly colored. The lotus flower pattern, meticulously sewn with gold thread, shimmered brilliantly under the light, highlighting her noble status— Hua Jin, the acting sect Sect Master of the Flower Sect.
Beside Hua Jin, a man leaned lazily against a white jade pillar, holding an open paper fan in his hand. The fan was painted with a picture of a beautiful woman gazing into the distance from the railing, the brushstrokes delicate and the artistic conception profound.
The man was tall and slender, dressed in a moon-white long robe with a black jade belt around his waist. He was quite handsome, with sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, a high nose, and a half-smile on his lips, which also hinted at a sinister air.
What is particularly striking is the bright red dot between his eyebrows, like Cinnabar mole, yet it carries a hint of eeriness, amplifying this sinister aura several times over.
He was Hua Jin's partner, Six-Star Dou Venerate powerhouse from the Heaven Nether Sect, one of the two major sects, known as the Demonic Flower Evil Lord.
At this moment, Hua Jin narrowed her long, phoenix-shaped eyes slightly, her gaze shooting like a sharp sword towards the center of the hall. She coldly shouted, "Yun Yun, you keep saying you have no interest in the position of Sect Master, and only want to retire to the Mountain Forest to cultivate in seclusion, but you still came! In the end, you still covet the position of Sect Master, and you still covet the Dou Qi left behind by the old Sect Master!"
Her sharp and sarcastic voice broke the silence in the hall, causing many elders to frown slightly.
The person who had been reprimanded by Hua Jin stood quietly in the center of the hall.
She wore a pure white dress, the fabric of which was light and airy, like the finest flowing gauze. With her subtle movements, the hem of the dress swayed gently, as if it might be carried away by the wind at any moment.
Her jet-black Black Silk cascaded down like a waterfall, reaching her slender waist, without any superfluous decorations, only secured by a simple white jade hairpin.
That face was absolutely stunning; her eyebrows were like distant mountains shrouded in mist, her eyes like autumn waters rippling across the surface, her nose was delicate and straight, her lips were as pink as cherry blossom petals, and her skin was fair and smooth, with a faint glow.
Her temperament was ethereal and elegant, like a flower fairy in the mountains who did not care about worldly affairs, untouched by human affairs. When her eyes turned, they only showed a kind of gentle breeze and calmness that penetrated to the bone, without any competitive spirit, and she was not affected by Hua Jin's reprimand.
So much so that many Flower Sect disciples who hadn't seen Yun Yun in a long time, or who were seeing her for the first time, couldn't help but look amazed, secretly marveling that there was such a stunningly beautiful woman in the world.
Everyone present understood that the phrase "peerless beauty" was the most fitting description for Yun Yun.
And who else could possess such charisma besides Yun Yun, the Misty Cloud Sect Master, who had been separated from Lin Ming for many years and was once renowned throughout the Jia Ma Empire?
Back then, after leaving the Jia Ma Empire, she inexplicably followed Lin Ming's advice and came to the Flower Sect, experiencing the same things as in the original story. So now she is having the same experiences as in the original story, but it's just that the time is a little earlier, and she is still in the stage of forcing Yun Yun to hand over her Dou Qi.
At this time, after several years, Yun Yun's charm has not diminished. On the contrary, she has become more mellow and intoxicating, like a fine wine buried deep underground. Years of Sedimentation is a calm and composed demeanor after washing away the superficiality. Her elegant temperament, like clouds drifting by, has made many elders of the Flower Sect nod in approval.
No wonder the Sect Master entrusted the leadership of the Flower Sect to Yun Yun before his death. Just this demeanor and state of mind alone make the difference between her and Hua Jin obvious.
The Demonic Flower Evil Lord beside Hua Jin had his gaze fixed on Yun Yun, a fiery glint flashing in his eyes.
He had loved beauty more than anything in his life and had seen countless beauties, but he had never seen a woman like Yun Yun who possessed both stunning looks and Spirit Qi. She was simply irresistibly alluring, making his heart flutter and leaving him unable to control himself.
Suddenly, all eyes in the world converged on Yun Yun, and the Demonic Flower Evil Lord's undisguised greedy gaze caused Hua Jin's jade hands to clench tightly, her knuckles turning white, and a deep sense of jealousy and ruthlessness flashed in her eyes.
She had always been jealous of Yun Yun's talent and appearance. Now that Yun Yun had clearly relinquished power, she could still easily attract everyone's attention and even make her Daoist partner lose his composure. This made the jealousy in her heart burn fiercely, and she wished she could destroy Yun Yun immediately.
Faced with Hua Jin's aggressive questioning, Yun Yun frowned slightly, a hint of helplessness flashing in her clear, watery eyes. She said softly, "Sect Master, you sent someone to summon me, saying that as long as I came to the Myriad Flower Hall today, the matter of the Dou Qi left behind by Granny Hua could be completely resolved, and no one would disturb my cultivation again in the future. That's why I came. I have never had the slightest desire for the position of Sect Master."
Yun Yun's voice was soft and melodious, like a clear mountain stream flowing, yet it carried an undeniable firmness, causing many elders in the hall to nod secretly, their hearts increasingly approving of this successor designated by the former Sect Master.
"Yun Yun, you want to cultivate in seclusion? That's easy to arrange." Hua Jin sneered, her tone tinged with smugness.
"As long as you hand over the old Sect Master's life's worth of Dou Qi, Sect Master can grant you a mountain to cultivate in peace within the Flower Sect, where no one will disturb you again."
Upon hearing this, Yun Yun gave a bitter smile and shook her head, saying, "Sect Master, it's not that I'm unwilling to hand it over, but Granny Hua's Dou Qi has already been sealed within my body by her own hands, becoming one with my Dou Qi, meridians, and even soul. If I were to forcibly separate it, I'm afraid I would die along with her."
"Hmph! Utter nonsense!" Hua Jin slammed her hand on the armrest of her chair, stood up, and shouted sharply:
"That's the Dou Qi of my Flower Sect's former Sect Master, the Flower Sect's most treasured artifact, meant to protect our Flower Sect's safety. How can we allow someone like you, who only wants to cultivate in seclusion, to continue possessing it! You have to hand it over today, whether you like it or not!"
She spoke with such righteous indignation, as if she were truly concerned for the safety of the Flower Sect, completely disregarding Yun Yun's life or death.
Yun Yun's helplessness deepened as she softly said, "Sect Master, I have given you the Sect Master Token Granny Hua gave me intact. This is enough to prove that I have no desire for the position of Sect Master. Why do you have to press me so hard?"
"A token?" Hua Jin scoffed, her eyes filled with self-loathing as she muttered, "It's just a token, what can it represent? Maybe you deliberately gave it to me to handle the sect's affairs while you focus on refining the old Sect Master's Dou Qi. Once you've reached a high level of strength, you'll come back to reclaim the Sect Master's position and reap the benefits!"
She paused, her tone growing increasingly harsh. "If it weren't for our sect's kindness in taking you in back then, you, an outsider, would have had no chance to make a single step in the Northwestern Region. How could you be in your current situation? I never imagined you would be so heartless, attempting to seize the core inheritance of my Flower Sect!"
"If I had known earlier that the old woman I met in the cave was the Sect Master of the Flower Sect, I probably wouldn't have taken care of her..." Yun Yun shook her head, her voice tinged with melancholy.
What she pursued throughout her life was never power or strength, but rather a sense of security and tranquility, yet fate always seemed to play tricks on her.
With a sigh, Yun Yun raised her head, looked calmly at Hua Jin, and said softly, "As for the Dou Qi seal, it was indeed forcibly left in my body by Granny Hua; it wasn't something I actively requested. If you really want it, then come and take it yourself."